Paxety Pages

The state Department of Economic Development will be introducing more Louisiana business people to Cuban buyers during a short trip to Havana on July 28-29, this time without Gov. Kathleen Blanco and DED Secretary Mike Olivier.

Among the nine participants traveling to the communist nation are officials with the Port of South Louisiana, a medical equipment supplier in New Orleans, a dairy products producer and a rice shipment company.

fidel needs to fill those rice cookers.  But, the trip is not only about making money, it's also about charity.

A nongovernmental group also plans to donate large tarp material for recovery efforts from Hurricane Dennis, said Felipe Martinez, the DED official leading this next trip.

A tarp.  Maybe Sr. Martinez can pay a visit to therealcuba.com and take a look at the Hurricane Dennis page before he goes.  Then maybe he can decide if his tarp will go to this house in Niquero

or, maybe this business in Covadonga

or, maybe this tourist trap at Treasure Lagoon in Cienaga de Zapata.

Just who is Mr. Felipe Martinez? Why The Foreign Trader, published by the World Trade Club of Greater New Orleans has this to say about him:

A 54-year old native of Cuba, Mr. Martinez joined the Louisiana Department of Economic Development ten years ago and is presently employed as a Project Manager in the Office of Business Development. He previously worked in the National and International Marketing divisions of the department.

He has traveled to Cuba twice with trade delegations from the state, in December of 2004, and most recently in March with Governor Blanco. His prior experience includes twenty years in commercial and international banking.

Mr .Martinez is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University. He is married to the former Annelies Ohlmeyer. They reside in Plaquemine with their three children.

And the Louisiana International Trade Bulletin gives his email address - martinez@la.gov.